The Entrepreneurial Lens

What do you see in the picture above?
A tree?
Now take 30 seconds and describe the tree....

For the large majority of us, we see things as they are or as they appear. Let’s take the tree for example. One might describe it as tall, thick green leaves, brown coloured trunk, leafy, in blossom, or indeed try and name the tree – elm, rowan, oak etc…

But there is more to this tree than meets the eye… Look again at the tree.

The tree as it stands and as you gaze at it takes up about 90% of the picture. The trunk, branches and foliage all combine to form a critical mass.

But, if you use a different lens, you will spot the interstices. The gaps which allow the light to come through between branches etc. These gaps or apertures are in fact an important part, they help form a complete image of the tree you are looking at. But, when asked to look at the tree, I’m betting most of us simply see wood and leaves. Now, look again and you will see a different tree…

Entrepreneurial people spot the interstices in things quickly. They use a different lens, which allows them to view things from a different perspective and Identifying the gaps where they can create true value.

Let me give you some examples.

The world of Tech

Cally Russell, the founder of Mallzee has created a game changing app for social shopping. Most of us look at smart phones and see them as clever bits of tech that help us to communicate in a smart, quick and simple way, for example – make calls, and send texts and emails. Cally took a different lens. He looked at human behaviour and how the smart phone was being adopted by Gen X and Gen Y. People were sharing social content – pictures and videos etc. – and seeking their friend’s opinions. Likes and comments. So, why not pick an outfit from a store and ask friends if they like it before I buy it, Cally thought. Hey Presto, Cally has created a social shopping app that turns the shopping experience on its head. And the smart phone gets smarter using Mallzee as it gets to know what clothes you like!! He used a different lens to look at the smart phone… www.mallzee.com

David Hastie of Nutrifizwas a big fan of wheatgrass, having discovered it in Canada. Wheatgrass is one of the new superfoods. In essence, a small ‘shot’ of wheatgrass is like eating a kilo of fresh greens. Not something we can all do every day in our busy lives.

Wheatgrass is also expensive, and doesn’t does not have a particularly pleasant taste [like most things that are good for us.]

David looked at this from a different perspective – that of the entrepreneur. Why not have wheatgrass in a pleasant tasting effervescent drink that more people will find pleasing on the taste buds. Fizzy vitamin tablets have been around for years. And yet no-one in the USA had thought of consuming wheatgrass in this way?

So, David created the world’s first effervescent wheatgrass tablet. Simply by applying a different lens to the world he saw in front of him. www.nutrifiz.co.uk

We can all apply a different lens to things we see in front of us. Things we take for granted, everyday things.

I wonder what you are capable of, if you apply the entrepreneurial lens and look at the interstices…